1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking and, more particularly, to a filter assembly for a downdraft cooking appliance.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of cooking appliances, it is known to incorporate a downdraft to vent air containing moisture, suspended grease particles and/or other cooking byproducts developed during a grilling or other cooking operation. In a typical downdraft cooking appliance, a motor driven blower system is connected to a plenum which is integrated into the appliance. During operation of the blower, the air is drawn away from a cooking zone through a grill and expelled from the appliance.
In such a venting system, it is desirable to remove the grease and other byproducts from the air stream within the plenum at a position upstream of the blower in order to protect the mechanical components of the blower, as well as other components of the venting system located downstream of the blower, from potential corrosive effects. To this end, it is known to provide a filter, such as a multi-layer aluminum mesh filter, in the plenum, upstream of the blower. The filter is positioned at an angle in order to increase the effective surface area of the filtering media, thereby minimizing any pressure drop created by the introduction of the filter in the air stream.
A filtering arrangement for a downdraft cooking appliance as described above is represented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,982. With such an arrangement, the angling of the filter and the positioning of the filter at a distance below the grill of the downdraft system exposes side wall portions of the plenum, between the filter and the grill, to the grease laden air. The surfaces of the plenum upstream of the filter will inherently collect grease and other byproduct particles which have to be periodically cleaned. Obviously, the task of cleaning these surfaces is less than desirable. In addition, exposure to these surfaces must occur when the filter is accessed for inspection, cleaning and/or replacement.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for a filter assembly for a downdraft cooking appliance which is constructed so as to avoid the need to routinely clean the surfaces of a plenum. In addition, there exists a need in the art of downdraft cooking appliances for a filter assembly which can be easily accessed for inspection, cleaning and/or replacement.
The present invention is directed to a filter assembly for a downdraft cooking appliance including a filter arranged directly below an air grill leading to a venting plenum. In accordance with the most preferred embodiment, a liner, which supports the filter, is removably positioned inside the plenum. The filter can be arranged inside the liner, attached thereto through the use of mechanical fasteners such as rivets or epoxy, or insert molded into the liner material. The liner is preferably suspended from the air grill so as to be readily removable in unison with the grill for inspection, cleaning or replacement. In a preferred embodiment, the liner is formed with opposing, outwardly projecting flanges which slide into mating channels formed into the underside of the grill.
With this arrangement, the filter is optimally positioned directly at the opening of the plenum. The liner, which defines the area exposed to the grease laden air, can be easily removed for inspection, cleaning and/or replacement. Correspondingly, exposure of the plenum to the cooking byproducts is minimized, thereby greatly reducing the necessary cleaning frequency of these surfaces. The filter is preferably V-shaped to optimize the surface area exposed to the air flowing into the plenum. Furthermore, the filter can be easily detached from the grill for replacement purposes.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.